Preperations
by empty8
Summary: Yeah! Claire isn't dead! Ok, well it's not a big suprise, but anyway onto the plot: Magneto is coming, but are the X-men prepaired? (Thus the title)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Preperations

By, 2280

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Claire and Dim are mine, anyone else belongs to marvel and I am just putting them to better use and am receiving no monitory gain in the process!

Claire crouched in the middle of the danger room, waiting for the program to reinstate itself.There was a war coming and she needed to be ready.Killing flatscans was one thing, but going toe to toe with other mutants who were her equal, or even her superior, she need to prepare, she needed to be ready.

She lifted her head as the program came to life, and immediately sprang into action, attacking the mutants she knew were weak, taking them out of the fight from the start.She felt her nails lengthen and the spikes rise from the flesh of her arms and legs as she cut and slashed her way through the melee of battle.Her arms ran thick with the blood of her victims as she turned and ripped the throat out of an attacker and threw his body into another.

Turning she saw that Magneto and Cortez were only 200 feet away from her.She flipped backwards as Cortez raised a gun and released a spray of bullets in her direction. She moved quickly, dodging through the crowd, causing him to hit his own men, before she landed closer to them.The sweat ran down her forehead, and she was breathing heavily, leaning on her knees to catch her breath.Her wounds were not fully healed and she wasn't operating at full capacity, but there were no allowances for error in matters of life and death.She ought to know, she had taken advantage of others weaknesses more times than she cared to remember.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and managed to roll out of the way just in time as a large fist slammed into the ground where she had previously been.

In the control center a group and gathered to watch Claire's training below.Jubilee hung on Dim's shoulder next to Remy who was leaning against the wall. Cable and Beast kept tabs on her vital signs.Logan stood directly in front of the window, watching with a scowl on his face.

"How long has she been at this?" he growled.

"This would be her seventh run," Cable replied, looking at the irritated Canadian. "She is getting better with each trial run, however."

"I don't care if she is getting _better_," Logan bit out. "She almost got taken out there!" Indicating Claire as she rolled out of the way.

"Wolvie," Jubilee said quietly, "This is something she needs to do.I would think you of all people would understand that."

Logan grunted in reply turning his attention back to his daughter who was trying to outrun a barrage of gunfire in the room below.

"Dim thinks Logan know, But Logan just want Claire to be safe."

"I think, my large friend, you hit it right on the head." Beast turned to offer Dim, who had sat there for all 7 trial runs, a reassuring smile."Oh, my, what just happened?" He said looking at Claire's vitals drop on the screen.

Everyone turned to peer out of the window into the room below to see Claire get slammed into a wall by Magneto, only to fall limply to the ground.

Jubilee watched as Logan tensed, 'Oh my, this isn't going to be good,' she thought.She watched as Claire slowly got back up and prepared to attack again.She flinched as she heard Logan stalk out of the room, slamming the door as he left.Her and Cable raised their eyebrows at each other, and immediately moved closer to the window to see what was about to transpire.


	2. Chapter 2

### Chapter 2

By, 2280

### Disclaimer: Dim and Claire are mine, everyone else belongs to marvel *sigh*

Logan threw the door to the danger room open in time to see Claire fly through the air once again as Magneto deflected her attack..

"End simulation," he bellowed into the air. If he had looked towards the control room he would have seen the occupation inside it cringe.

"This isn't going to be pretty is it?" Cable asked.

Jubilee watched as Logan stalked over to where Claire was lying on the ground. "Nope."

Below Logan covered the ground behind himself and Claire quickly. He watched as she rolled over on to her back and looked up at him.

"What in the HELL do you think your doing?" She growled at him.

"Saving your sorry hide that's what.If I hadn't turned the simulation off then Magneto's men would have finished you off."

Claire slowly stood up and stood inches away from Logan's face.

"That would have made things easier on you wouldn't it? Pa." She sneered, not backing down even when she saw the scowl on his face deepen.

"Watch it.I never asked for this, but I'm dealing with it the best I can darlin'"

Claire did something the people in the booth couldn't believe.She stood inches from an angry Wolverine, bleeding and wounded, and laughed in his face.

"That is the biggest crock of shit I have ever heard in my life you pathetic little hairball!"

"Do you want to prepare the casket, or should I?" Jubilee asked Remy.

"That's his daughter chere, you don't tink dat he would, um, never mind." He turned and ran toward the danger room as Cable shouted into the mike.

"Logan! I order you to stop _immediately_!"

"You can stuff your orders bub!" Was the only reply they received as they watch Logan pick Claire up and through her across the room.

"Look, I've tried to be patient and understanding!" He stalked towards her and picked her up again, "I've tried to ignore the danger you have put my friends in!" He tossed her again and she bounced off of the floor, this time rolling into a crouch.

"There we go!" she sneered at him. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed what a bastard you are."

"You think I'm a bastard now?Let's see what you think when I'm done with ya darlin."

"I'm not your darlin!" She charged at him, suprising him by bounding over him when he tried to deliver an upper cut, and kicking him in the back instead.

He picked himself off of the floor, only to have roll out of the way as she brought her knee down where his neck used to be.

Turning he delivered a powerful kick to the upper back, flipping her over.

"That was good kid, you surprise me.Enjoy it, cause it will only happen once."They both stood up and circled each other, not pausing when they heard a pounding on the danger room door.

Remy pounded on the door, he was sure that they were gonna kill each other. 

"Beast! Open the door!"

"I'm trying," Beast's voice came over the intercom, "however they have locked the door. I am trying to break the code."

"Oh, move over Blue, let someone competent do it.No offense, you're a miracle worker with the body, but you suck with circuits."

Remy smiled at Jubilee's candor, if anyone could break the code it was p'tite.

Inside the to people in combat were oblivious to the fact that everyone was scrambling to separate them.

"So is this how you deal with all of your problems?You kill'em?"

"Think what you want, kid." He reached for her and snagged her arm, only to pull away when spikes sprung out and pierced his hand.

"Son of a bitch!" he hollered.

She spun around and slammed her fist into his face, the force causing him to spin onto the floor.She gritted her teeth as she felt the bones in her hand fracture.

He stood up, shaking his head. "What's the matter girl, get more that you bargained for?"

p

She narrowed her eyes and smiled, "let's wait a couple of minutes and then you tell me." Her head was throbbing, and her ribs ached from when she hit the floor, but she wasn't going to back down, not now.

Shnick!

p

She looked up surprised to see, Logan, her estranged father rushing at her with his claws extended.She quickly pivoted, pulling a knife out of her boot, and dropped to her knees using her knife to cut through the tendon at the back of Logan's knee, and he fell with a bellar to the floor.

Outside the door Remy jumped when he head Jubilee scream over the intercom "Get in there now! He's out of control!" The danger room door sprung open and Remy stopped in his track at what he saw.

Logan was on his knees leaning over Claire with his claws protruding from her chest.The oddest thing was that Claire was laughing.

"What's the matter?Cat got your tongue?" Logan made a wheezing noise and fell over onto his side, pulling Claire with him.

Remy ran forward and grabbed Claire's shoulders and gently lifted her off of Logan's claws. "Chere?He rolled her over, and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw her eyes open and look at him.

"You ok chere?" 

"I will be in about a half-hour." She gave a weak smile, and tried to sit up.She fell back down and had to let Remy help her to her knees.

"Wolvie?" Jubilee came running into the room, with Beast close behind her.She knelt by his side and got panicky when he didn't respond.

"Wolvie?What's wrong with him?What did you do?" She turned on Claire.

"_I _didn't do anything, he did it to himself," she snarled in return.

"You better hope he's all right." Jubilee's voice dropped.

"Or what? You gonna _spank_ me?"

No one had time to blink as Jubilee paffed Claire hard enough to knock her to the ground.

"P'tite! Stop it!" Remy yelled, reaching down to help Claire up again.

"I'm gonna let that one slide kid, the next time I retaliate." She wiped blood out of the corner of her mouth. She turned her head as Remy lead her out of the danger room on Beast's urging, "next time, all bets are off."

Claire lay in the medlab, again and waited for someone to come stitch her wounds shut.She looked at the door to see Kurt walk in.

'Great,' she thought, 'the priest, just what I need.'

"You seem to have quite the vound there fraulin."

"That's usually what happens when someone stabs you with s set of six inch knives that can cut through steel like butter."

He raised one blue eyebrow. "I can see zat ziss hasn't improved your temperament."

"It took me years to perfect this attitude problem, why would I go and change it?" Claire sneered at him.

He shook his head as he put gloves on and came to inspect her wounds.He pulled down her uniform to look at her shoulder.The puncture wounds were clean, there wasn't much tearing, but they were deep.Not that Claire had too much to worry about in the line of infection, but the bleeding needed to be stopped.

He picked up a needle and threat, "I'm zorry, but zis may hurt a little."

"Why are you sorry?It's not like you'll be the first to hurt me, and certainly not today."

Her tone caused him to pause and look at her, but her eyes were hard as she looked at him."I apologize because I do not ever enjoy inflicting pain on another, _I'm_ not like that."

The corner of her mouth rose a little, "Ohhh, so the little choir boy has a nasty streak?I have to say I didn't see that one coming." She smirked.

He laughed softly as he bent over her chest to insert the needle, plying it in time with the rise and fall of her breath.

"So aren't you gonna miss it?"

"Miss vhat?"

"Sex."

He paused midstroke to look at her. "I am sure zat at times I shall miss it, however I feel that ziss is my calling."

p

"Your calling?Is that how you justify it?"

He sighed deeply and sat back, so he could look at the woman who was staring at him so skeptically.

"Vhat do you mean 'justify it'?"

"You know what I mean, your running, giving up.You haven't been able to make a difference this way," she indicated her war battered body, "so you've decided to run and try another way, haven't you?"

"Zis may surprise you, but I have somezing called 'faith', I know zat god shall watch over me, and I in turn shall watch over all of you."

He felt his anger rise when Claire snorted in response.This girl was so ungrateful, such a loose cannon, she had no respect for anything, he thought. He never got a chance to respond however as Professor Xavier came into the room.

A very angry Charles Xavier."Would you mind telling me what that little spectacle was about Claire." He stopped in front of her with a sever frown on his face.

"It appears that Logan and I tried to kick each other's asses, but I could be wrong."

He took a deep calming breath before continuing."I realize that your situation is, different, than many of the people here, you life has been much different and I have tried to make allowances, _this_ cannot and will not be tolerated. X-men do not fight X-men."

Claire sat up quickly popping the stitches that Kurt and just put in. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and leaned forward so she was eye to eye with Xavier.

"Really?Would you mind telling me when exactly this rule was instated?I think I missed the memo."

"We have never fought within the team."

"That is the biggest bunch of crap I have ever heard coming out of your mouth.Do you want to know the real reason why this team doesn't operate?The real reason why you can't achieve your 'dream'?"

Charles's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything so she continued.

"You people can't even get along amongst yourselves, you fight and you bicker about petty grievances.You focus on winning small battles instead of winning the war.That fact is the very reason why you never truly beat your adversaries.You fight by this code of ethics and morals, and what has it gotten?Your friends killed, that is all it has gotten you." She hissed at him.

"You couldn't stop Magneto until you blurred the lines between right and wrong, so you know that I'm right, but your so afraid to become one of them that you hold onto these ridiculous notions of right and wrong.Guess what Charlie, he's back, he's pissed, and guess who he's coming after?It's not me, it's you. So why is it that I'm the only one who sees the truth here?"

"And what truth would that be?"

"The dream is dead.And if you don't wake up so are your precious X-men.For years you couldn't cure the legacy virus, but someone who you call a terrorist and a madwoman provided you with it only because she was willing to use means you wouldn't.What good are your morals if you're too dead to use them Charlie, tell me that."

As Kurt watched the exchange he saw something in Professor Xavier's face that he never thought he would see—defeat.With out a word he turned and left the medlab.Apparently it surprised Claire too for she sat there for a moment with her back to him, head bowed.He reached forward and put his hand on her shoulder causing her to jump.

"You need to lay down so I can fix zee stitches."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah." She stared at the ceiling for a moment while he worked at repairing the damage.

"Do you really believe that?" Kurt finally asked her.

"Believe what?"

p

"Vat you said."

She gave a bitter laugh. "I don't believe in anything Kurt, not anymore."

"When did you lose your faith?"

"In what? In god or humanity?"

"Both?"

"I lost my faith in humanity as soon as I realized they would kill me as soon as look at me, now I know I have to get them before they get me.When you lived a life that I have you grow up fast, and you see things for what they really are, no illusions."

He looked up, "you are not the only one who has had a hard life frauline."

"Kurt, you're a nice guy, but you don't know anything about me, so stuff it."

He was silent for a moment as he tied off the stitch and placed a bandage over it.He walked over to the garbage and took the gloves off. He turned back to her to see her getting off of the table and head towards the door.

"I'll be outside getting some air if anyone wants me."

"Claire?"

She turned, "Yeah?"

"What about God?"

She gave him a bitter smile, "it's more like he gave up on me." She walked out and let the door swing shut behind her, leaving Kurt to ponder what she said.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By, 2280

Disclaimer: Claire and Dim are mine, everything else belongs to marvel.Please give me feedback and tell me what you think!

Logan walked down by the dock and saw Claire sitting there, waving her feet in the water.She was only wearing a loose pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt despite the coldness of the air.He took a deep drag of his cigar and started towards her.

"What do you want old man?You here for a rematch?Cause I'm not in the mood."

He gave a small smile, he should have known he couldn't sneak up on her.

"Naw, not here to fight with ya darlin'."

"Weren't you listening earlier?I ain't yer 'darlin'.Go bother your lapdog or something."

He paused next to her sitting down on the dock. "Aren't ya cold out here with no jacket?"

"Go on, feel free to sit down," she said sarcastically. "And no, I'm not cold, it's one of the benefits of being able to control ones body temperature.Anything else ya'd like to know?"

He sighed, "Look, I didn't come all the way down here in the cold to fight."

p

"Then why did you come?For a warm father-daughter moment? Shouldn't that have happened before you skewered me?"

p

'She's not gonna make this easy,' he thought as he watched her.He hadn't really looked at her before, but she had a lot of his mannerisms.She fought like him.Strong, hard and too the death.

"I came to apologize."

"For being the worlds worst parent or for trying to kill me earlier?"

p

He watched as she tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ear as the wind caught it.Her hair was the same color as his, but her frame was different.Was she built like her mother?Did she look like her mother?

"Let's start with the trying to kill ya bit." He shrugged, "I admit I was out of line."

"Gee, do ya think?"

"So do you forgive me?"

She sighed and dug into her pants pocket, pulling out a cigarette."Do ya got a light?" she asked, finally turning to look at him with her blue eyes.Those were his eyes.

"Well?" she asked when he didn't respond.

"Yeah, I got a light," he dug a zippo out of his pocket, flicking it, allowing her to light her cigarette."Didn't know you smoked."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me.I'm just chalked full of suprises."

He gave a small smile, "I bet you are.You want a beer?"He pulled two out of his pocket."Are you old enough to drink?"

She gave him a quelling look reaching for one, "I'm old enough to go to prison for first degree murder. Let's leave it at that." She pulled the cap of and took a sip."This is as warm as piss."

"I had to hide it from Gumbo or he would have taken it all."

She shook her head, "You never touch another person's beer, someone needs to teach that Cajun a lesson."She switched hands and took a drag.

"So what were you doing in the danger room?"

She sighed deeply, here it comes. "Getting my ass kicked."

"I could see that, why were you doing it?"

She turned to look at him to see if he was kidding, but saw that he was serious."I've never fought people like that before, don't think I could hold my own in battle.I don't want to be a liability."

He was silent for a moment digesting what his daughter said. He took a drag of his cigar before he spoke. "You won't be a liability, we fight as a team, we count on each other and look out for each other."

"Don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a team player."

"Maybe not, but you went after Jubilee didn't you?"

"That's different," she took her feet out of the water and put her socks and boots on tucking them underneigth her.

"How is that different?"

"I was helping her, how and when I said so.I haven't had much luck in the past with trusting and depending on other people in the past.And I'm not about to start because your pansy professor or you say I should."

"I wouldn't ask you too darlin, trust is something that takes time to develop."

"No, trust is developed based on need.You needed Jubilee, thus you trust her."

"So you don't need anybody?" He looked at her, but she refused to look at him and instead looked out onto the lake.

"I haven't so far."

'More like you weren't able to darlin,' he thought with a great sense of sadness.Here sat his flesh and blood and he had failed her for her entire life. 'But I'm gonna work on changing that, no matter what it takes."

She started to speak and interrupted his thoughts. "So how long did it take for the poison to leave your system?"

"About 20 minutes, how come you never mentioned that you had that?"

"If I did I wouldn't have been able to use it against you."

Logan chuckled."So are we better?"He felt so awkward around her.

"I wouldn't say we're all better, but we're better of than when we started."

"That's a start darlin, that's a start."

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not your darlin."

Inside the mansion Charles Xavier sat grimly at his desk. As of late the situation concerning mutant human relations had been grim.In this dark hour it was hard for him not to believe what Claire had said earlier.

Was she right, were they fighting a lost cause?Would the battle never be over?They had lost Scott, who had now been returned to them.They had lost Peter, who was never coming back.It seemed that the death toll kept growing, and for every step they took forward they took one step back. 

He heard the door open and close quietly behind him.

"Am I disturbing you Charles?" Storm asked quietly, coming up behind him.

"I have been better Storm, but as always I shall endure."

She looked at him with her large soulful eyes, eyes that made you think she could look right into your soul.She was never a woman of many words, however when she did speak there was wisdom and thought behind it.He waited patiently while she gathered her thoughts.

"I heard what Claire said earlier in the medlab while I was attending to Wolverine.Do you believe what she said?"She walked around and leaned on the side of the desk.

Charles smiled, she always had a knack for getting right to the root of the problem. He sighed deeply before he replied.

"Perhaps," he shook his head. "I cannot deny that there is some truth to what she says."

"Do you truly believe that Charles?Can you take the word of someone who is clearly unbalanced, at the least, as the truth?" She searched his eyes.

"She may be, unstable, in some aspects; however I believe that her limited development makes it easier to see some situations that seem more complicated for you or I."He leaned back."When we look at the situation at hand, we see the sum of parts, and analyze the problem, prescribe the best treatment and administer it. Claire however simply sees the rotten parts and removes it, stopping it from infecting the rest."

"But what is the cost?"

"Indeed, what is the cost.On one side we have the loss of our friends and loved ones, on the other we are no better than those we fight.Which is the lesser of the two evils?" He rubbed his temples before he continued.

"Do you realize that the only time we have been able to eliminate Erik as a threat is when I did the one thing I swore I would never do, I used my ability and stole his mind from him.What if Claire, Erik, and all that think like them _are_ right?What if the only way to beat them is to become one of them."

Storm was silent for a moment, mulling over Charles' words.As she watched him she saw that he was losing hope, and if he lost hope, then the cause would be lost.

"Charles come here," she motioned towards the window. 

He came towards her and looked out beside her.

"Tell me what you see."

"Darkness."

"No, tell me what you _see_." She tapped her head.

Charles reached out with his mind for a moment. "Logan and Claire are down by the lake."

"Yes, do you know what they are doing?"

"Talking."

"Isn't it odd, that not one hour ago they were trying to kill each other, yet now they can get along well enough to sit and have a civil conversation? What a revolutionary idea." She cocked her head as she looked at the Professor.

He smiled slightly, "Point taken."

"Good, now how about we go find something to eat?I believe that we both missed dinner in all the confusion."

"I would enjoy that."

END

This story line will be continued in Resurrecting the Dream. 


End file.
